Absolution
by Hana79
Summary: Years ago Severus Snape lost the one person he loved. We learn why he behaves as he does in HBP.Voldormort gives Snape the chance to change past events and be with his lover. SSOC LVOC.
1. Chapter 1

Absolution

Prologue

Severus' face contorted in anger as he stared at the headmaster, lifting his wand he hissed out the killing curse. He allowed all the hurt and betrayal he had bottled up inside of him to feed the curse. Feelings he had buried inside since that fateful night Albus Dumbledore had killed the one person Severus had loved. His pain and anger focused his power and the deadliest of unforgivables struck its mark.

He kissed the hem of the Dark Lords robes. "Ssseveruss, I am pleassed with you. That old fool has got in my way too many times." Severus listened to the sibilant words. He gained no pleasure from this. Inside he was hollow and cold. Dumbldore's death could not bring back what was taken from him. It was as if the Dark Lord had read his thoughts.

"There was only one who could soften the hatred and contempt I felt for this world. That old bastard took that person from me. Severus, you have always been one of my favourites, talented, powerful and cunning, a Slytherin to the core. I will reward you with knowledge it has taken me years to acquire. Old blood magic. Dark magic. I cannot cast this on myself and there is no other wizard alive powerful enough to do so. I will give you the chance to change things, to bring back what was lost. Yes, your bond mate. The ritual is a perversion of nature, it will cause a breach in time and allow one to travel to a previous point in their timeline."

Severus' eyes widened. If the Dark Lord was genuine in his claims…there was nothing that he would not give just to be with his bond mate one more time. Just thinking of soft lips and sparkling eyes made him ache. Voldormort's face stretched into a smile. "Yesss, another chance."

They stood in a clearing deep in the Forbidden Forest. It was close to midnight. Stars glittered in the sky. The moon illuminated Snape's face as he chanted. Voldormort stood next to him, wand making intricate shapes in the air. Severus held his arm out. He drew a small knife across his wrist. The blood dripped over the runes carved into an ancient tablet of stone. The blood sizzled, disappearing into the stone. There was nothing benign about the magic that crackled around them. It was a seductive power, promising everything and taking even more from the wizards who had summoned it. The tablet levitated and began to emit a pale blue light. The forest was still. Severus' eyes widened as his surroundings melted away. Severus Snape had disappeared. Voldormort smiled "Don't let the old fool win this time." His soft whisper lingered in the night air even as he apparrated away.


	2. Chapter 2

Absolution

Chapter 1

September 1980

The death eaters laughed as their master lazily cast another cutting hex at the prisoner. The man knelt before the dark lord with his hands bound behind him. His clothing was shredded and soaked with blood. He had been captured 3 nights ago. It was unusual for the dark lord to keep a prisoner alive for so long, Voldomort being notorious for his short temper and penchant for pain and violence. However this prisoner was particularly difficult to kill. Thalius was a 137 year old vampire, and Voldormort was currently enjoying his rather resilient play thing.

Severus looked on with distaste, unlike his peers he did not enjoy such displays. He observed the dark lord carefully, Voldomort did not normally deal with such creatures, believing in pureblood superiority. Vampires were thought to originate in ancient wizarding blood lines, but were shunned in the magical world as an unnatural deviation. The rare few that were magical had a predilection towards the dark arts. Their predatory nature and darkness left ordinary wizards fearful. Vampire clans kept to secrecy, living in the shadows amongst both wizards and muggles alike.

Severus waited for the dark lord to reveal the reason behind his prolonged torturing and was rewarded a few moments later for his patience. The dark lord lowered his wand, affording Thalius some respite. Severus was impressed, the starvation and physical abuse had not broken the creature, in fact the vampire was staring indifferently at his tormenter. Voldormort's lips curled and he hissed out his demands,

"Tell me what I want to know and I'll make this quick". The potions master idly wondered why the dark lord had not simply used legitimency to get the information he desired directly from the creatures mind. The vampire remained silent. A few death eaters exchanged weary glances, once angered the dark lords punishment would extend to his followers. "So be it." The dark lord nodded in Severus' direction, prompting him to step forward. "Administer the potion to our pet vampire." The potions master produced a small vial from his robes. It contained a luminous blue liquid. The concoction was deadly to a vampire, causing painful contortions in the body and a burning sensation in the veins culminating in a slow laborious death. Snape forced the liquid down the vampire's throat. Thalius' body went rigid and his eyes widened. His skin began to ripple and rupture as his body temperature rose, finally the vampire screamed. The potions master remained stoic, he could not let the end result of his potions weigh on his conscious, especially since he himself had some vampiric blood from his mothers side. The other death eaters were dismissed. Voldormort stood before the potions master, "Snape, make sure the potion take its course and dispose of any remains." Without waiting for an acknowledgement the dark lord apparated. Severus returned his gaze to the dying vampire and mused out loud, "I hope your secret was worth dying for". The vampire's eyes snapped open and focused on the potions master. Despite his shields he felt the vampire's presence in his mind. Snape began to occlude his mind but the assault abruptly ended. Thalius was dead. The potions master cast an incendio, burning the remains away. He was shocked to find images in his mind of a remote building, a manor of sorts. Could this be Thalius' lair? Perhaps what the dark lord sought was there? Why would Thalius show him this, it could be a trap or had Thalius somehow sensed Severus' ancestry? Something felt amiss but he decided it was worth the risk. He concentrated on the image in his mind and apparated to the unknown destination, hoping he was right to trust his instincts on this.

Severus arrived outside a moderately sized manor. The location was remote with mountains in the distance. He could feel the wards surrounding the manor collapse, no doubt due to Thalius' death. He was intrigued, this meant the old vampire had indeed been magical. He drew his wand out and stealthily entered. The entrance was dark but he could see soft light coming from upstairs. Wand poised, he crept up the stairs, senses alert for movement. The light was coming from a room at the end of the hall.

There were no wards to hinder his progress into the room. He entered gingerly, apprehensive about what could be awaiting him. A soft voice whispered "Master?". Severus' wand was immediately trained on the voice, however any curses he was about to utter died on his lips, for the soft candlelight revealed a teenager. "Lumos." He slowly walked towards the youth but his eyes were focused on the girl's reflection in an ornate mirror behind her. It was translucent, his own reflection could be seen through it. The potions master surmised she was a fledgling, a mortal being in the process of being turned into a vampire. No doubt Thalius had been her sire. The youth gasped and wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. Thalius had been captured a few days ago, thus the fledgling had not fed for some time. Starved of her sire's blood she should have been dead by now. Severus crouched down in front of her letting his mind reach out. He was startled to find a magical aura. She was a witch and her magic had been sustaining her. "Master?" the young women questioned again. "Your master is gone." The youth hung her head and whispered dejectedly "Then I am to die."

"No little one, I will take care of you." Severus was surprised at the protectiveness he felt for the fledgling and the conviction of his words. Without further delay he picked up the youth and apparated to Hogwarts.

The potions master hurried past Hogwarts anti-apparition wards and went straight to the dungeons. Madame Pomprey would not be able to help them. He hissed out the password for his quarters and hurried into his chambers where he gently laid the unconscious fledgling onto the bed. Removing his robes and boots he moved back to the bed, cradling the young women's head. He could end her pain and save her life, but in doing so he would bind her to himself. He caressed her face gently, marvelling at the soft flawless skin. The girl was beautiful. Her eyes fluttered open and dazed green eyes met obsidian ones. He would not let her die. He turned her head and began licking the side of her throat allowing his innate vampiric instincts to surface. Unfamiliar canines lenghthen and sharpened I his mouth before piercing the youths skin. Severus felt heady with the sensation of another's blood and magic mingling with his own. Her heartbeat slowed and Severus retracted himself from her throat, licking the wound closed. He then bit into his own wrist and held it to the fledgling's mouth, encouraging her to drink. Magic thrummed through his body as he felt the binding progress. Hopefully there was enough vampiric blood in his lineage to sustain her. If the binding was successful then she would remain mortal like himself, the vampiric blood becoming dormant. The girl stopped drinking and began licking the wound closed in the same way as he had done for her. Severus looked on, aroused. Their eyes locked and Severus could resist no more, capturing her lips in a possessive kiss. Magic sizzled in the air surrounding the two bodies as they joined, Severus fervently claiming the body beneath him.


End file.
